By Abiola Olawale
Nigerians have begun to react after pictures emerged on social media showing the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, attending the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum (2025APCS), with his two sons.
While Wike’s official attendance is said to be a key development for the FCT, the presence of his sons on the trip has triggered a significant buzz across Nigerian social media.
Recall that Wike on Monday arrived in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), for the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum in Dubai this week.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, on Monday.
Wike was received by the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Dubai, Zayyanu Ibrahim, as well as officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration who had arrived earlier.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Wike discussed the developments in the FCT, and also interacted with Mayors of other capital cities during the summit.
However, photos circulating online showing Wike and his family arriving in Dubai have dominated discussions.
​Critics argue that the inclusion of family members, particularly on an official trip funded by taxpayer money, represents a misuse of public funds and is a symptom of political entitlement.
They contend that such high-level diplomatic and professional summits should be strictly limited to essential FCT and technical officials whose presence directly contributes to the summit’s goals.
Below are some reactions curated from social media;
“He’s positioning his children. Don’t be surprised if one of them makes it to Rivers state house of assembly in 2027.”(@Udo Azikiwe)
“All their needs will be catered to with taxpayers’ money. You can’t even try this in a working country where you use taxpayers’ money to fly your family to a summit. As a minister or a public office holder, you can’t try this in Ghana.”(@Ologe Itunu)
“They always mentored their own, give them the best, laid a solid foundation, embezzled our treasury, that ought to be a channel for infrastructures, that can match, global standards, but instead, their priority is to teach their kids, how to govern us, so that when they grow old, they’ll take over.”(@Henry Moses)
